n. someone who exercises great power or influence secretly or unofficially.

Inaugurated in 2002, this program highlights 7a*11d’s commitment to bringing forward a lived history of performance art by presenting the work of seminal Canadian performance artists

This year we are honoured to have two Laureates of the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts:
Margaret DRAGU (2012) and Nobuo KUBOTA (2009)

previous Éminences:
2002: Bruce BARBER (Nova Scotia)
2004: Cheryl L’HIRONDELLE (Saskatchewan)
2006: Rita MCKEOUGH (Nova Scotia)
2008: Robin POITRAS (Saskatchewan) and Glenn LEWIS a.k.a Flakey Rosehips (British Columbia)
2010: Michael FERNANDES (Nova Scotia) and Sylvie TOURAGNEAU (Québec)

For the first time 7a*11d has invited two curators (who will not be presenting performances) to attend the festival: Miriam GINESTIER from Montréal and Jonas STAMPE from Gothenburg, Sweden and Guangzhou, China.

The idea behind having performance curators take part is in order to open new opportunities for local artists to locate their work in a national and international context, and to establish ongoing, in-depth relationships with our peers and their networks. We hope to facilitate ‘studio visits’ and meetings with our visitors and artists involved in performance art in Toronto and environs.

Performance art is unique in its international network of artist organizers. Over decades the ‘eternal network’ of artists has built a web around the world, and many, many of the artists we invite also organize events in their own countries. This small program aims to encourage greater international understanding of contemporary performance art practices and to encourage future work through collaborations, exchanges and festivals.

Miriam GINESTIER is the Artistic and General Director of Studio 303, a busy Montréal centre for dance and interdisciplinary art, and an award-winning creator of cultural events for Montréal’s lesbian community. An innovator at Studio 303, Miriam has prioritized the development of emerging artists and performance practices through a holistic vision incorporating residencies, workshops, mentorships and discussion salons, alongside and through events such as Edgy Women (performance festival) and Corps Atipyk, celebrating atypical bodies in dance. Her newest venture at Studio 303 is on helping proven artists develop their national and international markets, through events such as SPARK.

She is a board member of the CanDance Network and the RAIQ (Québec’s interdisciplinary arts network), and is an active member of Culture Montréal’s Emerging Artists and Practices committee. A former DJ, performer, and filmmaker (her three silent shorts have been screened internationally), Miriam is also a freelance organizer of queer cultural events (such as Meow Mix).

http://www.mimproductions.org/

Jonas STAMPE was born in 1965, and lives and works in Guangzhou, China and Gothenburg, Sweden. Art historian, theoritician, critic and curator, Jonas Stampe has been active as a curator since 2000 and is the co-founder and curator of an international network of festivals including Infr’Action – Festival International d’Art Performance in Sète, France (since 2005), Infr’Action Paris (since 2009), Live Actionin Gothenburg, Sweden (since 2006), the now discontinued Live Action New York(2009-2010), Infr’Action Venezia (since 2011), and the upcoming Guangzhou Live 3  (since 2010).

Blogposts for 2012

Welcome to our festival blog for 2012. Updated daily, the blog contains critical writing and reflections on the 9th 7a*11d International Festival of Performance Art by our commissioned writers, Sylvie FERRÉ (reporting in French), Randy GLEDHILL and Christine KORTE, and photographs of each days events from our faithful photographer, Henry CHAN.

Henry CHAN has been documenting performance art in Toronto since 2006. He has photographed four consecutive 7a*11d festivals, the activities of FADO Performance Art Centre, as well as events, exhibitions and performances at various contemporary art venues in the city including The Images Festival and The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery. When he is not using a camera, Henry is crunching numbers and pushing paperwork as an accountant.

Sylvie FERRÉ is an independent curator, lecturer and writer on contemporary and performance art. She is the Director of the Polysonneries Festival based in Lyon, France. Her research strives to develop links between visual art, performance, and other creative forms leading to original collaborations. She is a contributing editor for several publications including Inter, Mapra, Alternatives Théatrales, and Avignon’s Festival. She has written texts for books on artists including Jan Fabre, Kirsten Justesen, Lamberto Pignotti, and Roi Vaara.

Randy GLEDHILL has an international history of artistic recognition spanning over three decades, including his ground breaking and influential collaborative partnership as one half of Randy & Berenicci (with Berenicci Hershorn). His chameleon oeuvre of activities includes performances, installations, public art commission, videos, sculptures, critical writing, curation and cultural activism. He is currently Executive Director and Curator of Vancouver’s LIVE Performance Art Biennale; and is researching new global performance art manifestations, movements, and networks.

Christine KORTE is a PhD candidate in the York and Ryerson Joint Program in Communication and Culture. She recently returned to Toronto after a DAAD research fellowship in Berlin and a guest lectureship position at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. She also has performed with the Vinge/Mueller ensemble in various productions staged in Berlin, Oslo and Bergen. Prior to starting her PhD, Christine worked at the transmediale festival for new media art and other festivals and residency centres in Berlin and Los Angeles.